Sectional grate.



W. M. EARL.

SECTIONAL GRATE. APPLICATION FILED MAR.3l, 191a.

Patented July 18, 1916.

Inventor a I J Witnesses Attorneys UNITED STATES PATENT OFFTCE.

WILLIAM MORRIS EARL, OF GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR' OF ONE- FOURTH TO THOMAS H. SIKES AND ONE-FOURTH 'IO MAX E. BLOCK,

BORO, NORTH CAROLINA.

OF GREENS- SECTIONAL GRATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 18, 1916.

Application filed March 31, 1916. Serial No. 88,048.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM M. EARL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Greensboro, in the county of Guilford and State of North Carolina, have invented a new and useful Sectional Grate, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to grates of that type formed in sections, and is designed more particularly as an improvement upon the structure disclosed in Patent No. 621,0A6 issued to me on March 14, 1899.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a. grate made up of detachably connected members, the hearing or supporting rails of the grate being braced transversely so as to be held against warping, means being provided whereby these bearing bars or rails can be placed at different distances apart and still be held against lateral warping.

A further object is to provide a sectional grate which does not require the use of bolts or similar fastening devices and the parts of which can be assembled readily and disconnected easily.

Another object is to provide removable grate sections held in place in a novel manner.

\Vith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter clescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings :Figure 1 is a plan View of a portion of a sectional grate embodying the present improvements. Fig. 2 is a section on line AB Fig. 1, one of the coupling bars being removed. Fig. 3 is a section on line C'D Fig. 1, two of the grate sections being shown in position. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the coupling bars.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates a portion of the grate tions of the bearing bars 3. These bearing bars have their upper edges straight from end to end and their ends are reduced, while those portions of the bars between the ends are extended downwardly as at 4, thus forming a truss or reinforcement, portions of the metal being removed from this reinforcing portion of the bearing bar as shown at 5, thereby to lighten the bar. Formed on each side of each bar are dovetail sockets 6 formed within enlargements or bosses 7 preferably cast upon the sides of the bar. The bars 3 are designed to be braced transversely and to be detachably connected, by coupling bars 8 having dovetail tongues 9 at their ends which are insertible downwardly into the sockets 6 and when thus seated, serve to brace the bars transversely so as to prevent lateral warping. When the various parts are coupled by means of these bars a rigid grate structure is produced the parts of which, however, can be easily assembled or taken apart.

Spacing lugs 10 are preferably cast integral with the bearing bars 3 and are designed to come together when the coupling bars 8 are in position. Thus they cooperate with the coupling bars to prevent warping.

The bearing bars 3 are designed to support grate sections one of which has'been shown at 11. Each grate section is preferably formed in a single casting and has parallel depending ribs 12. The upper edges of the bearing bars 3 are adapted to project between these ribs 12, thus to hold the grate section aganst lateral displacement. The grate sections are so proportioned that they will fit against each other at their sides and ends, thus providing a continuous grate surface over the bars 3 and the spaces therebetween. 1

What is claimed is I 1. A sectional grate including bearing bars having side sockets, of coupling bars between the bearing bars and insertible downwardly into engagement with the walls of the sockets, said coupling bars constituting means for holding the bearing bars 1 i shifting, spacing projections extending laterally from the bearing bars and contacting, and grate sections mounted on the bearing bars, each grate section having depending ribs, the bearing bars being extended between the ribs to hold the grate sections against lateral displacement.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM MORRIS EARL.

Witnesses:

W. M. COOPER, CLINT DEODMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

